[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//4459272/2603ca763004ccc492bd660c4d798224537b5374.jpg[/img] [h3][i]Interstellar space. Unidentified space body orbit[/i][/h3] “Over the past three millennia, people got used to living in a cage. First, the Earth was such a cage, then the Solar System. Now all the systems of the galaxy have become cages. No one even tries to find out what is hidden far from the eyes, in the interstellar void,” the man thought, looking from the observation deck at what was breaking out of the rules imposed by old ideas and thoughts. It was impossible to tell whether it was an orphan planet or a small star, since linguists and scientists couldn’t agree. A huge imperial ship and its crew watched as its satellite retreated into the distant expanses of space. It hasn’t left the orbit yet, but it was just a matter of time. However, it was as if time didn’t exist in this place, since there was nothing relative to which it could be counted. The captain of the ship was distracted from contemplating space by the voice of the duty officer, “Comrade general, we noticed a flash of hyperspace transition according to the signature indicated in the order.” “Great,” the captain said with a slight smile, “open the docking gateway 35-B, prepare the engines for launch. Don’t turn on the warp core. Transmit a signal in ten astronomical units, saying that I’m waiting. Locate the target, provide a live corridor to the flagship.” The Jericho frigate flew to the indicated gateway, without turning on the weapon. The general’s enemy was flying to meet him. Soon there were echoing footsteps on the ship. The visitor didn’t take off his spacesuit, it’s hard to say whether he could have done it at all. It was almost impossible to understand where his numerous implants ended and the living flesh began. “So, here you are,” the general took a deep breath, preparing for a long conversation, “I've been waiting for this for a very long time. However, as you understand, I wanted to see this conversation differently.” The captain came to the table and sat down, while the guest took the opposite place. “Yes, and I wanted to see my nameless enemy in chains,” the Jericho man said honestly, “but if you hadn’t stood in my way, I would have achieved my goal and freed them. And then we would become their servants. You know their history, right?” “I know,” the general replied, recalling the horror he learned about the Galaxy’s previous masters, “but their tools are even scarier. I saw what happened to your ship. Even in anger I couldn’t imagine such a thing. But this is the past. We’ll have to accept their legacy to stop these creatures from awakening. Soon the Signal will enter full power. Then our fight will be lost before it starts. I hear that your agents got the Key to the gate.” “Otherwise, the traitor would have got it,” the guest said, looking at the general opening a bottle of dry red wine, “since you invited me to this meeting, do you want to use the Families in your plans?” “Or help you. I want to destroy them. You’ve been pursuing the same goal for the last few years. You have the Key, I have the Sleeper,” said the ship's captain, “together our fleets will disable the enemy ship’s main systems before it has time to awaken. My Third Intelligence won’t allow the Revenants to deploy any active measures.” “It still won't be enough,” the Jericho man replied, drinking wine for the first time in many years, “We need tens, hundreds of thousands of small ships to destroy the enemy’s support fleet. Biomorphs can help their former masters. The reaction of the crystallids will be unpredictable. Besides, we won’t be able to keep the operation a secret.” “And we won't even try,” the general said, “we will involve the UMC in the operation, there should be enough of them to close some of the gaps in the formation. We also need to get Pavlov. Most likely, he will be able to neutralize some of the enemy weapons. In the meantime, I suggest saving up strength and using all the possibilities for this.” “Our forces may still not be enough,” the guest remarked, “But I agree, we definitely can’t delay it. If we’re late, warp storms will cover the sectors, tear our supplies to shreds, and the former masters of the Galaxy will regain their power. Only one thing is missing — blueprints of Forerunner structures and outline materials.” The general turned on the screen and showed an image of the orphan planet’s satellite from the orbital reconnaissance probes. The surface of the celestial body was covered with gray dust mixed with ashes. “The necessary blueprints are already there,” the captain said, “previously there was life on this planet, but judging by the sensor readings, the Precursors destroyed it completely, using some sort of terraforming equipment. Their cache is now located here. Its coordinates were listed in one of their hiding places ten parsec away from Earth. According to the same data, here you can find some of the materials we need.” “Then we have every chance of defeating them,” the Jericho man said, “The Precursors bet everything that we’ll decide to return their power over the Galaxy to them. But I don’t understand at all why the Key exists.” “They were not one people, just like us,” the general said, “but we’ll discuss this later. Now I’m waiting for your formal answer: will you gather the Families? Will you help me open the Precursor storage?” “Yes,” the Jericho man replied, smiling for the first time in a millennium and a half, although no one could see this smile.